The Leica M9 Monochrom in the Streets. Sometimes OLD is GOOD. By Dan Bar.

April 1, 2019 Documentary, Leica, Mirrorless, Monochrome, News, Street Photography, User Reports 30

The Leica M9 Monochrom in the Streets. Sometimes OLD is GOOD.

By Dan Bar

I am not going to write a lot this time, the market is loaded with great cameras. The new Leica Q2 and other Leica products. Sony, Fuji & Hasselblad great cameras but there is no camera like the M9M for me. (and I own the M10 as well).

I just got back from Leica Wetzlar where I changed my 50 LUX with a 35 Cron, calibrated both cameras with the two lenses I have ( 28+35) and cleaned both sensors. Must say I always enjoy the treatment I receive there

I also took the time to look at the new winning photos now in a show.

Anyways it is Purim now (something like Halloween) so I took the M9M and went to Bnei Braque, an orthodox city.

Here are some photos all shot with the 35 Cron…

Thanks Danny

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30 Comments

  2. I like what you are doing. Very inspiering style. What is the dynamic range of the M9M?

  3. I like your color photo style, but in these b&w images I keep asking myself “Where, o where, has all that lovely CCD tonality gone?” !

  4. What happened with the unconscious man on the ground? I don’t like to see published photos like this one, until it’s useful for the news ad the persons involved.

  7. Purim isn’t quite like Halloween as Dan implies and the fellow on the side walk is simply stone drunk. It is tradition to celebrate (some do so excessively) and wear costumes to mark the story of the holiday, which concerns the thwarting of a plot that would have ended in the murder of Jews in ancient Persia (see the biblical Book of Esther).

    ‘Jo Benz’ concerns are misplaced. The inebriate condition of the fellow in the fez is nearly the same.

  9. A man liing unconcious on the street, others are trying to help, and you are shooting a photo? I can’t understand such a behaviour…

  10. I like your style Dan. The darkness forces the viewer to search for impact or move on. I also like that you stick to your style when many demand more light. Reminds me of the old song by the Isley Brothers, “It’s your thing, do what you want to do.”

  11. A Pentax Spotmatic is Old. A Nikon F, Leica IIIf and the like are old. Even a Deardorff 8×10 before front swing was introduced.
    A quickly replaced digital camera is not old, not by any stretch of the imagination.

  12. I agree with all the comments about your decision to underexpose all the images. By my eye, you’ve underexposed at least one full stop. I would also raise the shadow detail by about 50%, but that’s just personal preference.

  13. Dan, I think you would really like British films from the 1950s especially war films and sci-fi as they invariably used very dark filters to create a “day for night” look and your photos have that feel. Having said that, I think the you could definitely lift some of the highlights to create more contrast and depth – some of the images are too uniformly dark.

  16. Dan, your images could be nice!
    They are too dark. Maybe your screen is brighter but..
    I’ve looked on other PC’s, Laptops and smartphones..
    I think you should have rethink!
    It’s not happening. Impatience clouds my appreciation..
    all best jason.

    • I like that style, of course they are dark but this also gives some special atmosphere. We all know the M9M can produce more DR and separation of grey tones, but that does not mean that its not allowed to reduce it. I like bold blacks … sometimes ….

  17. Is it really OK to photograph there? Remember being told not to when I was there…

  19. I wouldn’t call the Monichrone old
    Anyway enjoyed the shots – good captures and compositions but my enjoyment was spoiled as they’re very dark without being ‘moody’. 🙁

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